"The Crow Tal-fruit Controversy"

Vrndavana, April 10, 1976



Yasodanandana: Prabhupada, there has been discussion amongst many of the members of the press and the Sanskrit editors regarding the actual place of Nrsimha's pastimes. So I told them that on the occasion of our travel to South India we visited this place Ahobilam, and the panditas, they have scriptural reference from the Brahmanda Purana and the Nrsimha Purana that the place is actually mentioned there, and it has been recognized by Ramanujacarya and many of the great Alwar saints. And yourself have already told me twice personally that this was the actual place where it happened. And on top of the mountain there, there is the pillar, iron pillar, which is the symbol of the spot where Lord Nrsimha killed Hiranyakasipu. So for the benefit of all of these devotees, they were just requesting your actual confirmation.

Prabhupada: Confirmation or no confirmation, Nrsimhadeva is our worshipable Deity, that's all. Why you are bothering where He killed Hiranyakasipu? You worship Him, that's all.

Yasodanandana: They just wanted...

Jayadvaita: The question came up because they have some pictures, photographs from these places, and we wanted to know if they were suitable for publishing or not.

Prabhupada: So why you are bothering with that? Let it be accepted or not accepted. Worship Him.

Aksayananda: Not that important.

Prabhupada: That is the important thing. [break] A man is diseased. He has gone to the physician. So whether is the first duty to investigate wherefrom the disease came or to cure him? Which is important?

Yasodanandana: To cure.

Prabhupada: Similarly, Nrsimhadeva might have done this or here or there, but He is our worshipable Deity, that's all. Why bother with unnecessary things? We know Nrsimha is everywhere. Andantara stha paramanu cayan... That is the conclusion.

Jayadvaita: We were just afraid that if we published a picture that was not correct, then you might become like Nrsimhadeva.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Jayadvaita: We were afraid that if we were to publish a picture that is not correct...

Prabhupada: So when it is disputed, why should you publish that picture? It is controversial. You should not print.

Yasodanandana: The controversy is only amongst the...

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be. As soon as there is little controversy.... I explained yesterday.

Pusta Krsna: For dhatun?(?)

Prabhupada: No, the crow, the crow and the tala fruit. Somebody said this; somebody said this. Then what is that important thing? Crow and a tala. You know the kaka-taliya-nyaya?

Yasodanandana: I never heard that story.

Prabhupada: There was a tree, tala tree, and.... tala tree. So one crow was there, and the tala fruit fell down. Two panditas, they began, "Whether the tala fruit fell down.... Because the crow sat down on it, therefore fell down." The other said, "No, the tala fruit was falling down, and the crow could not sit on it." And they began to fight: "No, this." He said, "No this, no this," go on.

Aksayananda: Or maybe the crow tried to eat it.

Yasodanandana: I think in this case it was just a question that they never knew actually what was the actual position. But if Your Divine Grace does not wish anything to be published regarding that place, then we will not do.

Prabhupada: As soon as there is some controversy, avoid it. That's all. Tala fruit and crow. You worship Nrsimhadeva. Ito nrsimhah parato, yato yato yami tato nrsimhah. Nrsimhadeva is everywhere.

Pusta Krsna: Bahir nrsimho hrdaye...

Prabhupada: Why Nrsimha should be confined: "He was here"? He is everywhere. And as He is everywhere, He is here also. That's all. Finish the business. And you are without...? (shoes?)

Yasodanandana: I missed it. I could not get my cappalas (sandals) off in time. They were lost. But that is okay.

Prabhupada: No, no, it is not okay. It is not at all okay. Then you go and sit down. Don't.... That is very risky. Then let us go to the road. [break] Maybe.

Jayadvaita: [break] ...that just as a capitalist sees money everywhere and a lusty person sees sex life everywhere, devotee sees Krsna everywhere, even in a pillar.

Nalini-kanta: I've been reading a lot in the different books about envy. You say that people kill cows only out of envy. I was wondering if you could give a definition of what envy is. I don't understand why they would kill animals out of envy.

Prabhupada: Envy means the cow has got right to live. He does not allow the cow to live. That is envy. You cannot understand this? Suppose you are walking. You have got right to walk, I have got, and if I kill you, you cannot walk. That is envious. Everyone has got right to live. Just like the camel. God has given their food. They are accustomed to eat these thorny twigs. So Krsna has given that. Let them eat and live. Why should you interfere with his living condition? [break] Do not interfere with others' right. Why should you? [break] ...think we shall take the car in Bombay?

Pusta Krsna: Yes. I think it's a good idea because there is no suitable place to store it here.

Prabhupada: No, we can make a suitable place. What is that?

Pusta Krsna: It may take some time. I don't.... Actually I haven't been to Bombay myself. I haven't seen the land at Juhu. Is there a suitable place for...?

Prabhupada: There is many suitable place.

Pusta Krsna: The reason was that because whenever you come back to India, you always come back to Bombay first of all, so as soon as you come back to India, you'll have facility to use your car. Otherwise we should make arrangements for another car for Bombay also?

Prabhupada: No. Another Mercedes?

Pusta Krsna: (laughter) Yes.

Hari-sauri: A Rolls Royce next time.

Prabhupada: (laughing) No. [break] ...land you can utilize. Where is.... They say overpopulation. Where is man? Overpopulation in the city. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. Krsna has His own plan. Even overpopulation Krsna provides. Why you are worried, "overpopulation"? You chant Hare Krsna. Why you are worried about overpopulation?

Yasodanandana: "We are less worried now with the family planning program."

Prabhupada: Hm?

Yasodanandana: "With the family planning program the worry is decreasing."

Prabhupada: Decreasing?

Yasodanandana: They will argue like that.

Prabhupada: Oh. Family planning, why family planning? Family planning is already there that don't marry. Why don't you accept this? Don't have sex. This is real family planning.

Jayadvaita: "That is horrible."

Prabhupada: Eh?

Jayadvaita: "It is horrible."

Pusta Krsna: "Might as well kill ourselves."

Prabhupada: Not horrible. It is horrible for a particular person. Otherwise.... [break] Karma-bandhana. What is this?

Lokanatha: They are flowers. These are the flowers.

Pusta Krsna: In little pots.

Prabhupada: Fruits also?

Devotee (1): They're just some kind of little string bean.

Aksayananda: Like a bean.

Devotee (1): Birds and camels eat the bean.

Jayadvaita: Our ISKCON population rate is less.

Yasodanandana: However, in some of our centers it tends to increase quite a bit.

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, you made the statement the other morning that if someone kills a young child, it is condemned. So if someone is killing the young child within the womb, that also should be condemned.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pusta Krsna: Simply that they have no clear idea what consciousness is and what life is. Therefore all these things are going on.

Prabhupada: All rascals. How they are risking their own life, karma-bandhana. Just like a thief. He is thinking "I am doing very nice business. Without any..., I am getting so much money." That is risky.

Hari-sauri: :Perhaps we cut across this way? This is a dead end here.

Prabhupada: No, we shall come back.

Jayadvaita: You gave that other example in Srimad-Bhagavatam that Nrsimhadeva let Hiranyakasipu slip from His hands for a little while just to play with him.

Nalini-kanta: The Vedic civilization is centered around villages, not cities?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Nalini-kanta: If we want to make the world Krsna conscious...

Prabhupada: Vedic civilization is in the forest. Go to the forest.

Hari-sauri: Renounce.

Prabhupada: :Neither in the city nor in the village. Go to the forest.

Lokanatha: But there were cities like Dvaraka.

Prabhupada: That is another thing, but the ideal is vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. Go to the forest and depend on Krsna and live there. And that is perfection. Vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. Go to the forest and remain, depending on Krsna. That's all.

Lokanatha: There are no forests left.

Hari-sauri: The whole material world's a forest.

Prabhupada: There are so many forests in America, full of forests still. Africa, so many forests, big, big forests.

Aksayananda: [break] ...Kali-yuga we cannot do that due to our conditioning.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hari sauri: :Fifth Canto describes the whole material world is a forest.

Pusta Krsna: Of enjoyment.

Lokanatha: Forest of enjoyment. [break]

Prabhupada: They go in the village for begging little food, that's all. Just like you can live in this forest. And what you will eat? Two capati. So you can go and beg. That's all. Whole day's business finished. Chant Hare Krsna.

Lokanatha: It's too simple to understand.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Lokanatha: It's so simple, we cannot realize how simple it is.

Aksayananda: But if we tried to do that, wouldn't it be sort of artificial?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Aksayananda: Yes. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana